Foldable and erectable enclosures



May 19, 1970 A. SALAMANDYK ETA- 3,512,188

FOLDABLE AND ERECTABLE ENCLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. l2, 196'?United States Patent O FOLDABLE AND ERECTABLE ENCLOSURES AlexanderSalamandyk and Metro Mihychuk, Winnipeg,

Manitoba, Canada, assignol's to Flatfold Articles Manufactun'ng Limited,Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 689,964 Int.Cl. E03d 13/00 U.S. Cl. --99 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Afoldable enclosure having a base with a pair of side componentspivotally secured thereto and a front and rear components which are alsopivoted to the base. The pivotal arrangement is such that the side andfront and rear components can be folded inwardly upon the base so thatthey fold flat in overlapping planar relationship and also include meanswhereby when they are erected, they can be secured to one 'anotherwithout the use of tools or nuts and bolts.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in enclosureswhich are adapted to be either in the erected position or,alternatively, in the stored or transportable position.

There are many such enclosures in common use which satisfy theserequirements. However, these enclosures normally require tools notalways readily available to the purchaser and are fastened into theerected position by means of nuts and bolts and the like. Theseenclosures are often accompanied by a relatively involved instructionsheet, the details of which leave much to be desired.

Sometimes these enclosures are foldable but it will be appreciated thatan enclosure which includes a base, a front and rear side, and twosides, cannot fold flat or in overlapping planar relationship and aretherefore extrernely bulky to transport and to store.

The present device overcomes all of these disadvantages by providing anenclosure which consists of a substantially rectangular base componenthaving a pair of side components pfivotally secured adjacent the endsthereof. A front and rear component are provided which are alsopivotally secured to the front and rear sides of the base respectivelyand the pivotal connection between the side components, the rear andfront components, to the base component are arranged so that these fourcomponents can fold downwardly upon the base and lie in overlappingplanar relationship with the base.

Further, means are provided to readily secure the front and rearcomponents to the side components when in the erected position, withoutthe use of tools or nuts and bolts and the like.

With the foregoing in view, and all those objects, purposes oradvantages which may become apparent from consideration of thisdisclosure and specification, the present invention consists of theinventive concept'embodied in the method, process, construction,arrangement of parts, or new use of the same, as herein particularlyexemplified in one or more specic embodiments of such concept, referencebeing had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of my device in the erected position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view showing one of the resilientclips on the front and rear components which engage the side components.

FIG. 3 is a topy plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the enclosure in the folded or storedposition.

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 1.

ice

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the enclosure in the erected position.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different igures.

Before describing the details of construction, it will be appreciatedthe enclosure illustrated and described can be used for many purposes.

For example, it can be used to store garbage cans or it can be used tostore firewood or the like. Alternatively, and with the use of suitablematerials in the manufacture thereof, it can be used as a babies crib.

Irrespective of the purpose for which it is used, the device is easilyerected without the use of tools and, alternatively, easily foldeddownwardly for convenient storage and transportation inasmuch as ittakes up the minimum of space when in the folded position.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, the deviceconsists of a base component collectively designated 10, a pair of sidecomponents collectively designated 11, a front component collectivelydesignated 12 and a rear component collectively designated 13.

In detail, the base component is substantially rectangular when viewedin plan and is preferably made from tubular steel or the like.

It includes spaced and parallel front sides 14 and spaced and parallelends 15.

The sides 14 are welded to the ends as illustrated at 16 so that thecylindrical ends 17 of the ends 15 are exposed. Spaced and parallelbrace members 17 extend between the ends 15 thus making theaforementioned substantially rectangular base component.

The end components in this embodiment, are preferably made in invertedU-shape configurations from one length of steel tubing thus forming anupper horizontal rail 18 and a pair of spaced and parallel verticalsides 19.

The front component 12 includes the upper horizontal rail 20 and a pairof downwardly dep-ending substantially spaced and parallel verticalmembers 21 welded by their upper ends thereof to the horizontal member20.

The rear component includes an upper horizontal rail 22 and a pair ofdownwardly and outwardly diverging diagonal members 23, said diagonalmembers |being secured as by welding to the horizontal member 22, by theupper ends of the diagonal members.

The aforementioned cylindrical ends 17 of the ends 15 of the basecomponent 10 are plugged and drilled and screw-threaded. Lugs 24 arewelded to the sides 19 of the end components 11 and extend inwardlytherefrom. These lugs are drilled and pivot bolts 25 extend throughthese drillings and into the aforementioned screw threaded drillings inthe plugged ends 15. It is desirable that the lugs 24 are welded to thesides 19 spaced from the lower ends 26 of the sides so that when in theerected position, the portions 27 of the sides 19 act as legs thussupporting the base component 10 in spaced and parallel relationshipabove the supporting surface upon which the device is erected.

These lugs 24, being oifstanding inwardly from the sides 19 permit thesides to be folded inwardly upon the base and to lie substantiallyparallel upon the base component 10 when in the folded position as shownin FIG. 4.

Means are provided to pivotally secure the front and rear components y12and 13 to the lbase and it is necessary to arrange these pivotalmountings so that when in the folded position upon the folded sidecomponents, the front and rear components also lie substantiallyparallel with and upon these side components also illustrated in FIG. 4.

This is accomplished by providing an inverted U-shaped pivot pin 28welded to the front and rear members 14 of the base component 10 andextending upwardly so that the horizontal portion 29 of the pivot pin 28lies v-in' spaced and parallel relationship above the Sides 14.

Bearing sleeves 30\ are secured upon the lower ends of the verticalv:braces or`members 21 and thesesleeves engage around the horizontalportions 29 of the pivots 28 as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

Similar pivots are provided upon the rear side 14 of the base frame andsimilar bearing sleeves 30 are provided upon the lower ends of thediagonals 23. However, it will be appreciated that the horizontalportions 29 of the pivots upon the rear member 14of the base are higherthan the horizontal portions 29 of the pivots 28 situated upon the frontmember 14 of the base. This permits the front side to be foldeddownwardly upon the base and then the rear side or component andpermits4both components to lie substantially parallel with the base when in thefolded position.

Means are provided to detachably secure the front and rear components tothe side components 11 when in the erected position. In this presentembodiment, U-shaped resilient spring clips 31 are secured upon the endsof the upper rails or members 20 and 22 of the front and rear componentsrespectively and these spring clips snap around the vertical sides 19 ofthe side components 11 when the device is in the erected position and asclearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6 of the drawings.

It will therefore be appreciated that the device can rapidly and easilybe erected or folded downwardly without the use of tools or elaborateinstructions.

Finally, it will also be appreciated that, if desired, caster wheelassemblies 32 may be secured within the ends 26 of the sides 19 thusenabling the enclosure to be rolled easily from one location to another.

What is claimed to vbe thefpresent--invention 1. A foldable enclosurecomprising a rectangular base component having a pair of side edges anda pair of end edges, a pair of side components and a pair of endcomponents pivotally connected to vthe respective side edges and endedges of said base component, f said side'components and end componentsbeing normally disposed in vertical planes for coaction with' the basecomponent in defining an enclosure but being foldable into 'horizontalsuperposition upon one anotherl and upon the base component when theenclosure is folded, said end components including tubular sidemembers,` and resilient clips provided at the ends of said sidecomponents, said clips being releasably engageable with the tubular sidemembers of said end components to sustain the enclosure in its erectedcondition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Collins 5-82 BOBBY R. GAY,Primary Examiner i A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 5-331

